Car-axle-box lid.



PATENTED 0CT..31., 19.0.5..

W. G. DUNHAM.

CAR AXLE BOX LID.

APPLwATIoN FILED JULY 29. 1904.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM` Gr. DUNHAM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALVIN C. MCCORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-AXLE-BOX LID.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed July Z9, 1904. Serial No. 218,723.

To all whom, lit may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. DUNHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Axle-Box Lids; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will' enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains lto make and use the same.

My invention relates to car-axle-box lids, and has for its object to improve the same in the several particulars hereinafter noted.

Theinvention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter ldescribed, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like .parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with some parts broken away, illustrating my invention as applied to a car-axle box of standard construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken transversely of the ear on the line m2 :122 of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail in section on the line .1:3 w3 of Fig. 1. detail, in horizontal section, taken on the irregular lineqr m4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a view corresponding t0 Fig. 2, but showing the lid in a raised position.

The numeral 1 indicates an axle-box of standard construction and which at its upper portion adjacent to its mouth 2 is formed with a heavy hinge-lug 3, having a vertically-elongated bolt-passage 4 and a detent-notch 5. A

pair of laterally-spaced bearing-lugs 6 project outward; from the hinge-'lug 3 and are preferably forined with seats 7, for a purpose which will presently appear.

The lid 8, which is preferably constructed of malleable iron, is formed with a central pocket 9, that ,hulges outward and upward. On the opposite sides of thel pocket 9 the lid 8 is formed with hinge-lugs 10, through which and the slot 4 of the hinge-lug 3 a hinge-bolt 11 is passed to pivotally connect the lid to the 'hox, with freedom for a limited vertical-sliding movement. ln this preferred construction the upper edge of the pocket 9 terminates in a lock-[lange 12. The hinge-lugs 10 are formed with depending lockiianges 13, and the lower portion of the lid is formed on its .inner face with a depending' lock-flange I4.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary' The said loek-Hanges are so disposed that when the lid is in a closed position the lock-flange 12 Will engage with the. detent-notch 5 of the hingellug 3, the lock-flanges 13 will engage with ribs 15 on the top of the box 1,y and the lock-flange 14 will engage with a rib 16, formed on the lower marginal portion of thelid-opening 2.

The lid 8 on its inner face, and preferably at the lower extremity of -the pocket 9, has an integrally castor otherwise rigidly-secured perforated bearing-lug 17. The stem of a 1-bolt 18 works loosely through the said perforated lug 17, with its transversely-extended head 18a `pivotally mounted in the seats 7 ofthe bearing-lugs 6. lThis bolt 18'is preferably formed near its kupper end with a fixed collar 19. A

coiled spring 2O surrounds the stem of the bolt 18 and is compressed between the collar 19 thereof and the bearing-lug 17 of the lid and exerts a pressure tending to hold the lid in a closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, and against upward sliding and pivotal movements.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that when the lid is closed the axial line of thrust or endwise strain of the spring 20 transversely intersects the mouth of the box at an oblique angle between its uppermost land lower-most.

exerts a downward pressure on the lid, tend-- ing Ato pivotally close the same and to slide the same downward on the lid-engaging surface of the mouth 2 of the box, and to thereby engage and tend to'maintain engagement, respectively, between the lock-Hanges 12 13 14 and the detent 5 and lock-ribs l5 and 16. vIt is further evident that when the lock-flange 14 is engaged with the rib 16 the latter serves IOO as a fulerum for the lower portion of the lid,

so that the said thrust device when the lid is closed exerts a force pressing the upper portion of the lid', as well as the lower portion thereof, inward and against the mouth of the box. In fact, the iiange 14 is not'essential 4to this fulcruming action of the lid, because whenever the lower portion of the lid engages the lower portion of the mouth of the box it becomes a fulcrum at such point of contact and the spring thrust device presses the upper portion of the lid against the upper portion of said box-mouth. By this simple means the lid is tightly pressed at al1 points against the mouth of the box, and a tight joint is thereby insured.

To open the lid constructed as illustrated in the drawings, it is necessary first to slide the same vertically upward far enough to disengage t-he lock-anges 12, 13, and 14, respectively, from the detent 5 and lock-ribs 15 and 16, and this being done the lid may be turned pivotally upward into the position shown in Fig. 5, under which movement the hingebolt 11 moves upward in the slot 4 of the hinge-lug 3, and the lock-liange 12 rides over the back of the said hinge-lug. It is alsoim-` portant to note that in the'open position of the lid, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the laxis or line of strain of thc thrust device is below the axis of the hinge-bolt 11, so that the said thrust device at such time exerts a force tending to hold the lid open. Stated in another way, the thrust-device is s applied and the lid has such movement that in moving from an open position to a closed position,

or vice versa, the spring thrust device is moved from one side to the other of a deadcenter and changes its angle both with respect to the lid and to the mouth of the box. The said thrust device, it will be further noted, in all positions of the lid acts with a direct endwise strain or thrust, as distinguished from the action of a leaf-spring secured at one end and having a camming action at its other end on a fixed base of reaction, as hitherto Afrequently employed in connection with car-axle-box lids.'

To close the lid, it is only necessary to move the same from the position indicated in Fig. 5 downward far enough to carry the axis of the thrust device below its dead-center with respect to a line drawn through the axis of the hinge-bolt 11 and the axis ofthe bolt-head 18", whereupon the said thrust device will automatically throw the lid into a closed position interlocked with the box, as already described.

Under the pivotal closing movement of the lid the lock-Harige 12 rides over the rounded portion of the hinge-lug 3 and holds the lid upward-tar enough to cause the lock-flanges 13 and 14 to clearthe lock-ribs 15 and 16, respectively. When, however, the lid is seated against the mouth of the box, the lock-flange 12 drops into the detent-notch 5, and the lockiianges 13 and 14 engage with the lock-ribs 15 and 16 under a downward-sliding movement of the lid, imparted thereto by 'the spring 20.

The drawings illustrate what I at present believe to be the preferred form of the device. 1t will, however, be' understood that I do not limit myself tothe detail construction illusltrated in the drawings; but, on the contrary, the device is capable of. many modifications as to its details of construction and arrangement .0fv parts within the scope of my invention, asv herein set forth and claimed. I

What I-claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with an axle-box. and a lid hinged thereto, of a spring thrust device reacting against the lid and against a seat in a fixed base of resistance outward of the axis of the lid-hinge, said spring thrust device having an angular oscillatory movement both in respect to the lid and the box, and so disposed that its line of force intersects the mouth of the box, when the lid is closed, substantially as described.

2; The combination with an axle-box, and a lid hinged thereto, of a spring thrust device reacting against the lid and against a seat in a xed base of resistance outward of the axis of the lid-hinge, said spring thrust device having an angular oscillatory movement both in respect to the lid and the box,and so disposed that its line of force obliquely intersects the mouth ot' the box, when saidy lid is closed, said lid and its support being providedwith means whereby movement of the lid carries said thrust device from one side to the other of a dead-center, substantially as described.

3. The-combination with an axle-box, and a llid hinged thereto, with freedom for pivotal and limited sliding movements, said lid having interlocking engagement with said box under its sliding movement, of a yielding thrust device arranged to react against the lid and against a fixed baseof resistance outward of the axis of thelid-hinge, said thrust device having an angular movement both in respect to the lid and the box, and so disposed thrust device arranged to react against thei lid and against a seat in a tixed baseof resistance outward of the axis of the lid-hinge, said spring thrust device having angular movements both in respect to thelid and the box, and so disposed that its line of force obliquely intersects the mouth of the box, when the lid is closed, said lid and its support being provided with means whereby movement of the lid carries said thrust device from one side to the other of a dead-center, substantially as described.

5. The combination with an axle-box, hav- IIO ' projecting bearing-lug, of a lid hinged to said hinge-lugwith freedom for pivotal and interlocking sliding movements, and having, on its inner face, an in wardly-projecting bearinglug, a spring thrust device directly compressed between lthe bearing-lug of said box and the bearing-lug of said lid, with its :line of strain intersecting the mouth of the box, when the lid is closed, said thrus'tdevice having an angular movement both in respect to the lid and the box, underpivotal movements ofthe lid, substantially asjdescribed.

6. The combination with an axle-boi( having a hinge-lug formed with apair ofoutwardly-projecting bearing-lugs, of a lid hinged to said hingeelug, with freedom for pivotal and limited sliding movements, said lid ,and

box, having parts which interlock under sliding movements of the lid,land said lid having an inwardly-projecting bearingilug at dts intermediate portion, a bolt Working loosely through the bearing-lug of said lid and hav.-

ing-a transversely-extended head pivotally mounted in seats formed in the bearing-lugs of'said box, and a coiled 'thrust-spring surrounding said bolt and compressed between the bearing-luglof `said lid and a bearing on said bolt, substantially' as described. -v

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\ WILLIAM G. DUNHAM.

Witnesses EDWARD DENEGRE, MARY E. BLADE.' 

